School’s response to increase in bike thefts – no bikes

A secondary school in Solihull has responded to a police warning about a rise in bike thefts in the area by asking parents to stop their children bringing bicycles to school. In an email to parents, Lyndon School said that where this was unavoidable, parents should ensure children wore a helmet.

“We have been made aware by the local Police that bicycle thefts in the area have recently been on the increase,” reads the email.

“As such, we would ask parents/carers to request that their children refrain from bringing bicycles into school. Where this is unavoidable, parents/carers are requested to remind their children the need for a) vigilance and b) the appropriate safety equipment… e.g helmets.”

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The email was forwarded to road.cc by Stephen, whose daughter attends the school. “I think the message is a joke,” he said. “Why bring up the unrelated safety equipment angle on a message about cycle theft?”

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Stephen added that his daughter doesn’t currently cycle as she would have to cross a major road (the A45) to get there, “and to be honest I'd rather she didn't cycle due to all the bad driving in the area.” 

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Lyndon School’s cycling policy, which was last reviewed in November, states that it “recognises that cycling in general has many positive benefits.”

Its policy is therefore to, “actively encourage as many students as possible to cycle to school and enjoy the many positive benefits this brings.”

The policy goes on to state:

To encourage students to cycle to school Lyndon School will:

• Actively promote cycling as a positive way of travelling.
• Provide, as far as possible, secure cycle storage on the school site. (There is no entitlement afforded, spaces are provided on a first come first served basis and to users that observe all expectations below).
• Regularly consult students regarding the provision.